Good mates kick on to pinnacle of NSW grassroots football

Best of mates at school and best of mates on the pitch, that was the secret weapon in Riverstone Schofields win in the PUMA 16 Boys Champion of Champions Final.

Riverstone Schofields players after a goal is scored in the Champion of Champions final at Valentines Park in Glenwood. Picture: Justin Sanson

Best of mates at school and best of mates on the pitch, that was the secret weapon in Riverstone Schofields win this weekend in the PUMA 16 Boys Champion of Champions Final which saw the local team beat Kemps Creek.

Captain Lachan Precious said the mateship was key and assistant coach Mike Hawthorne told Rouse Hill Times it was one of the hardest working teams he’d ever helped coach.

The boys beat their rivals 2-0 in a closely fought contest Mr Hawthorne said could have gone either way until they got that second goal.

Riverstone Schofields 16 Boys championship winning team. Pic: George Loupis/Football NSW

“It was a bit of disbelief to be honest, but they worked so hard for it and the boys were very confident on the pitch,” Mr Hawthorne said.

“After the game it was just jubilation. Three years of hard work paid off.

“This is one of the hardest working teams I have ever had the pleasure of working with. For those boys it was fantastic.

“As the captain said, they are dedicated to each other. They are the best of mates at school and best of mates on the pitch.

A ball is heading for the back of the net for Riverstone Schofields in the Champion of Champions final at Valentine Park in Glenwood. .

Riverstone Schofields players celebrate during the Champion of Champions final.

The team has been together for three years in the Blacktown Association but this was the first year their home ground was in Schofields and they played as Riverstone Schofields.

Mr Hawthorne also praised the supporters.

“The number of people that came out to support us was quite gob smacking. There had to be a couple of hundred and they were all wearing the red and white. After the game people came up to congratulate us, even people we didn’t know — it was fantastic.

“It was quite a buzz. The icing on the cake after three years of hard work, and it has just been quite phenomenal.”

Blacktown Association don’t have an under 17s competition so next season the plan is to keep the boys together and have them play in the under 21s division and allow them to build to their next final.

Riverstone Schofields: Benjamin Dalkeith, Nathan Bezzina, Luke Attard, Domenic Dighionno, Taylen Redden, Nikola Jovic, Lachlan Precious, Jonah Walker, Daniel Watson, Jarrod Myers, Riley Vincent, Isuru Madapatha, Matthew Grahan, Brandon Longridge, Jackson James